Colson Montgomery

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Colson Kade Montgomery

BR Minors page

Biographical Information[edit]

Colson Montgomery was the 21st player selected in the 2021 amateur draft, taken by the Chicago White Sox. He was a shortstop at Southridge High School in Huntingburg, IN and a resident of Holland, IN, a nearby small town. He signed for a bonus just above $3 million. At 6' 3", he was also a standout basketball player in high school, and his height has prompted speculation that he would eventually be moved from shortstop. Had he not been drafted so high, he would have gone to Indiana University where he had an agreement that he would be allowed to play both sports.

He began his pro career by playing 26 games for the ACL White Sox in 2021, hitting .287 with an OBP of .396. In 2022, he played at three different levels, justifying his top prospect status by reaching AA at age 20. He started off with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers of the Carolina League where he hit .324 in 45 games, then moved up to the Winston-Salem Dash of the South Atlantic League, where he hit .258 in 37 games, before finishing off with 14 games with the Birmingham Barons of the Southern League. He struggled at that level, hitting just .146, but otherwise his season was a big success as he hit a combined .274/.381/.429 in 96 games, with 17 doubles, 11 homers, 58 runs and 47 RBIs.

In 2023, an injury limited him to 64 games, including ten on a rehabilitation assignment back in the Arizona Complex League. He did well in Winston-Salem and Birmingham, however, hitting .345 in 17 games with the Dash, and .244 in 37 games in AA. Overall, his slash line was .287/.456/.484 with 51 runs and he was named an organizational All-Star in spite of the time missed. He continued to do well in the Arizona Fall League, where he was named MVP of the Rising Stars Game, the circuit's All-Star Game. In 2024, the White Sox, who were floundering in a season during which they set the American League record for losses in one year, resisted the temptation to bring him up early, allowing a chance to spend a full season in AAA with the Charlotte Knights of the International League. He hit just .214 in 130 games, but showed good power, with 21 doubles and 18 homers. He also scored 66 runs and drove in 63, and in spite of the low batting average, his OBP was decent at .329. He then hit .313 with an OBP of .511 in the Arizona Fall League. He was selected to play in the 2024 Futures Game.

Heading into the 2025, season, he was ranked the #39 prospect in baseball and there was a strong possibility that he would start the season as the Sox's starting shortstop under new manager Will Venable. The two shared a bond through basketball, given Colson's high school prowess on the hardwood, and Venable's four-year run as a cager at Princeton University.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Jesse Borek: "Montgomery swats way to Fall Stars MVP honors", mlb.com, November 6, 2023. [1]
  • Scott Merkin: "'Whirlwind': Montgomery gearing up for first full Minors season", mlb.com, February 23, 2022. [2]
  • Scott Merkin: "Former hoops star Montgomery shows some swagger at shortstop", mlb.com, March 9, 2022. [3]
  • Scott Merkin: "Top prospect Montgomery on White Sox roster spot: 'I have to go earn it'", mlb.com, February 18, 2025. [4]

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